Falling for a King
by Angel of the woods
Summary: One night a young woman tells a little girl the story of Labyrinth and accidently wishes the child away. But what no one knew was that the king of the Goblins had fallen in love with the young woman. J/OC
1. A Prophecy is Made

Disclaimer: I don't own Jareth, Sarah, or Hoggle only Catherine Rose/Amelia, Susan, the nurses, and Cassandra

Chapter 1 A Prophecy is Made

Somewhere in the Goblin Kingdom 1872

Not a sound was heard from the surrounding land as the caped figure on the horse's back pulled his steed to a halt in front of a run down hut.

"Wait here," he commanded softly to his companion a short, ruddy-faced dwarf as he swung down from his horse.

"Yes Yer Majesty," the dwarf said quietly.

The man approached the hut cautiously as the dwarf held the reins of the king's steed. As he prepared to knock on the door it swung open revealing a dark interior lit with the glow from a fireplace.

"Come in Your Majesty," a voice beckoned him.

Startled the king hesitated before entering the hut and striding toward the fireplace where a wing backed chair had been placed.

"Are you the seer?" the king asked quietly.

"I am," the voice answered.

"What is your name?" the king asked more boldly.

"I am known by many names Goblin King," the voice replied. "But you may call me Cassandra."

The Goblin King was once again startled by the seer's knowledge but he quickly overcame it his mask of indifference settling once more on his features.

"Will I be alone for all eternity?" he asked softly.

"No," Cassandra said just as soft.

"No?" the king queried.

"No," the seer repeated firmly. "She will wish a child away, run your Labyrinth, and win. She will be in her teens with hair the color of the earth and eyes the color of emeralds. She will defy you more than once for her will is strong and stubborn like yours. And she will love you as only she can."

"What is her name?" the king asked calmly.

"I do not know her name only that she will come," the seer replied as she lifted her chin from her chest. "She will be born on the ninth of August and will be loved by her parents. And while she runs your Labyrinth a threat to your throne will appear. And she will help in the battle to save your throne from those who would steal it."

"My thanks seer," the king said bowing his head to the woman in the chair.

"Your welcome Jareth Goblin King," Cassandra replied bowing her head in return as the king left her hut.

***********

The Escher Room 1986

"Give me the child," Sarah whispered as the Goblin King frowned at her.

"Sarah beware," he said his heart thundering in his chest hoping that she wouldn't spurn his affections. "I have been generous up until now. But I can be cruel."

"Generous!" Sarah exclaimed softly tilting her head to the side. "What have you done that's generous?"

"Everything!" he snapped. "Everything that you wanted I have done. You asked that the child be taken away. I took him. You cowered before me. I was frightening. I have reordered time, I have turned the world upside down, and I have done it all for you! I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Is that not generous?"

Sarah took a deep breath and looked into the mismatched eyes of the Goblin King. "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City," Sarah said as she walked toward him. "For my will is as strong as yours. And my-"

"Stop! Wait!" Jareth said as he lifted his hand to stop her and conjured a crystal. "Look, Sarah. Look what I'm offering you-your dreams."

"And my kingdom is great," Sarah continued as she continued to walk toward the distraught king.

"I ask for so little," Jareth pleaded as he backed away from her still clutching the crystal. "Just let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want."

"Kingdom is great…Damn! I can never remember that line," Sarah mumbled angrily. "Just fear me, love me, do as I say," the king continued to plead. "And I will be your slave."

"My kingdom is great…My kingdom is great," Sarah repeated over and over before it hit her. "You have no power over me. You have no power over me!"

With a heavy heart Jareth threw the crystal up into the air before transforming into his owl form as the Escher Room dissolved around them.

***********

Somewhere in the Goblin Kingdom 1986

"Was Sarah the one?" Jareth asked the seer later that week.

"No," Cassandra said as she gazed into the flames dancing in the fireplace.

"Then why did I make a fool of myself trying to get her to stay?" the king mused out loud.

"You didn't," the seer said as she slowly turned her head toward the king. "Your heart simply wasn't in the effort of trying to keep her here with you."

Jareth looked at the woman startled who gazed back at him unfazed.

"My heart wasn't in it?" he asked perplexed.

"Tell me, my king, when this mortal was born," the seer softly commanded.

"The ninth of August in nineteen-seventy-two," Jareth replied automatically.

"Then it was my fault," Cassandra murmured looking back at the flames.

"What do you mean?" the king growled in annoyance.

"She will be born in the year nineteen-ninety," the seer said avoiding the king's angry eyes. "And you will sense when she is born."

With a last growl Jareth stalked out of the hut slamming the door behind him.

***********

The Castle beyond the Goblin City 1990

Jareth lounged moodily in his throne as he glared into a crystal almost wishing someone would wish a child away so that he could make the person run the Labyrinth. Suddenly he heard a woman screaming in pain. Focusing on the screaming he let the crystal change from emptiness to a delivery room in a hospital where a young woman was in labor with her first child.

"Ok Susan," the nurse told the laboring woman. "Your baby is crowning and you need to push again."

The woman nodded as she took a deep breath before bearing down again with all her strength.

'Where is her husband?' the king wondered absently as he continued to watch the birthing process.

Just then the woman, Susan, gasped as her child slid into the world.

"It's a girl," the nurse announced as she held the squalling infant up so that the new mother could see her daughter.

'That child is my future Queen,' Jareth thought surprised that the little girl who was now being held by her mother would ever have a will that would be as strong and as stubborn as his.

"What will you name her?" the nurse asked Susan.

"She's not mine to name," Susan said as she cradled the tiny infant.

"She's been put up for adoption. But for the birth records her name will be Kathleen Rose."

The nurse nearly dropped the birthing supplies in shock at the young mother's declaration.

"But why?" the nurse asked stunned.

"I am twenty-years-old, unmarried, and I'm scared," Susan said glaring at the nurse.

The nurse glared at the young woman who still held her infant daughter close to her chest.

"You can leave whenever you want," the nurse snapped as she took the child away from her mother and put her into a bassinet before wheeling the bassinet to the nursery where other nurses could monitor the child's health.

Susan watched with a heavy heart as her tiny daughter was wheeled out of the room before breaking down in tears. Jareth was surprised that his future wife was to be adopted and not raised by her biological mother but then again the mother was little more than a child herself. Jareth shook his head in despair as he saw the nurse tell the other nurses in the nursery that the baby, she had brought in, was going to be adopted causing all the nurses to shake their heads in disgust and put the child in a far corner of the room to forget about her. Sighing Jareth let the crystal disappear before vanishing and reappearing in the nursery in the hospital next to the infant's bassinet. The infant stirred, opened her eyes, and stared directly up at him. Carefully he picked her up and cradled her against his chest in strong but gentle arms. Just then he noticed another nurse come in and move in between the other bassinets checking on the other babies. With a sigh Jareth laid his future Queen back in her bassinet. She started fussing causing Jareth to quickly conjure a crystal and make it dance on his hands. Slowly the baby drifted off to sleep. The nurse never noticed a thing not even looking in the direction of Kathleen Rose instead focusing on the children who were not being put up for adoption. Sighing again Jareth laid the crystal next to the child before vanishing from the nursery before any of the nurses could discover him there.

***********

Somewhere in the Goblin Kingdom 1990

The seer, Cassandra, lifted her head in triumph as she felt the first part of the prophecy come true. The child had been born and was going to live in a happy home filled with love, laughter, and hope.


	2. Words Have Power

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone in the Labyrinth Fandom except Amelia, her parents (both of them), Emma, her parents, Amelia's brothers, her grandmother, and Emma's brothers.

Chapter 2 Words Have Power West Chester, Pennsylvania 2005

"Amelia!" a woman of about forty called up the stairs to a younger woman who was in her bedroom. "They're going to be here soon!"

A crashing sound was her only answer.

"Be down in a sec Mom!" the young woman, Amelia, called down from her bedroom door as she tied her brown leather boot on.

Amelia's mother rolled her eyes in despair as she gathered her coat, purse, and bible together. Minutes later Amelia sat in the dining room at the electric organ playing a song over and over again annoying her parents and brothers. She didn't hear the doorbell ring or the thunder of her two brothers racing to the door to be the first to open it. But she did feel a small hand tugging urgently at her pant leg. Startled Amelia looked down into the brown eyes of a four-year-old Chinese-American girl.

"Emma," Amelia said smiling down at the little girl. "Do you want to play a song with me?"

The little girl nodded as Amelia slid off the music bench before lifting Emma up onto the bench just as Emma's mother walked into the room.

"Thanks for watching Emma Mia," Mrs. Chen said as Emma started pressing keys at random.

"It's my pleasure Mrs. Chen," Amelia said as Amelia's mother walked into the room. "Hey Patti," Denise greeted her friend. "Mia your father forgot that he's taking your brothers and Becky to the movies," she continued apologetically as Amelia stared at her mother stunned.

"But Grandma's here. Right?" Amelia quickly asked.

"Yes," Denise said as Amelia heaved a sigh of relief. "And Mr. Chen has Chris and Ben so it's just you and Emma tonight."

"All right now go," Amelia said shooing the two women out the front door as Emma continued to press the keys on the organ at random. "You're going to be late for small group."

Waving goodbye to the two girls Denise and Patti got into Patti's car and drove off to small group. Amelia locked the front door before turning back to Emma who was still playing at the organ.

"So Emma," Amelia said leaning against the arch. "What movie do you want to watch?"

***********

Two movies later Emma was starting to get bored.

"Mia can you tell me a story?" Emma asked staring up at the young woman sitting next to her.

"Sure," Amelia said. "I know a story that will really interest you."

"What's it called?" Emma asked curious.

"Labyrinth," Amelia grinned as she tugged at a lock of her chestnut curls. "Once upon a time there was a young girl named Sarah who was a dreamer. She longed to be an actress like her mother who had divorced her father when Sarah was about two years of age. Her father remarried when she was twelve to a woman named Karen. A year later her father and stepmother had a baby boy whom they named Toby. Now they doted on the baby more then they ever had on Sarah. Another year passed Sarah turned fourteen and Toby had his first birthday. One night her father and stepmother went out but that's another story. Now Sarah had been acting out her favorite play, Labyrinth, in the park earlier that day and had some of the lines still running through her head. Now Toby had been crying almost non stop since her parents had left and Sarah was very angry.

'What do you want?' Sarah demanded of her brother. 'Do you want a story? Huh? Ok. Once upon a time (Sarah said) there was a beautiful young girl whose stepmother always made her stay home with the baby. The baby was a spoiled child who wanted everything for himself and the girl was practically a slave. But what no one knew was that the King of the Goblins had fallen in love with the girl and gave her certain powers. So one night when the baby had been particularly cruel to her, she asked the goblins for help.'"

Amelia stopped because Emma had tugged on her sleeve.

"What are goblins?" Emma asked confused.

"They are small creatures about two to three feet high and they come in all different shapes," Amelia said. "And they are very fond of mischief and practical jokes."

Emma nodded satisfied.

"Sarah continued with her story," Amelia said. "''Say your right words,' the goblins said, 'And we'll take the baby to the Goblin City, and you will be free.' But the girl knew that the King of the Goblins would keep the baby in his castle forever and ever and turn it into a goblin, so she suffered in silence.'"

Amelia stopped noticing the expression on Emma's face.

"I can stop if you want," Amelia said brushing the hair off of Emma's forehead.

"No I want to find out what happens to Sarah and Toby," Emma said.

Amelia smiled.

"'Until one night when she was tired from doing housework and the harsh words of her stepmother and she could no longer stand it,' Sarah said as she kneeled next to Toby's crib as Toby continued to cry. 'Oh, all right! All right! Knock it off. Come on. Stop it! Stop it! I'll say the words. No, I mustn't say…' Sarah had taken Toby out of the crib by now and now held him above her head. 'I wish…' Sarah said. 'I wish…' Sarah paused to remember the words. 'I can bear it no longer!' Sarah exclaimed. 'Goblin King! Goblin King! Wherever you may be, take this child of mine far away from me!' Nothing happened and Toby continued to cry. 'Oh, Toby, stop it!' Sarah snapped as she let her baby brother drop to her hip. 'I wish I did know what to say to make the goblins take you away.' Suddenly she paused thinking. 'I wish…' Sarah murmured. 'I wish…' Sighing Sarah laid the baby in the crib before turning from the crib and walked to the bedroom door. 'I wish the goblins would come and take you away,' Sarah said to her brother. '…Right now.'"

Suddenly the lights went out plunging them into darkness. Crying Emma threw herself at Amelia, who had frozen in shock when the lights had gone out.

"Mia," Emma whimpered clinging to Amelia. "I'm scared."

"The fuses must have blown out," Amelia mused as she stood up. "Emma, I'll be right back. Ok?"

Emma nodded her eyes wide with fright. Amelia walked down to her dad's wood shop to check the fuses, which were working perfectly, which confused her.

"Emma the fuses are fine," Amelia said as she walked up the steps from the wood shop. There was no answer.

"Emma?" Amelia called surprised. "Emma, are you okay?"

Walking into the family room Amelia stopped in shock. There were goblins everywhere but no Emma.

'Oh no,' Amelia thought horrified. 'I wished Emma away to the goblins.'

And with that she banged her head on the pantry door repeatedly causing the goblins to stop what they were doing and stare at her fascinated. This was how the King of the Goblins found her still beating her head on the pantry door and the goblins laughing hysterically. Puzzled the Goblin King strode over to the girl and pulled her away from the door.

"Do you do that often?" the King asked curious.

"What?" Amelia asked rubbing her forehead, her eyes closed. "Wish children away or beat my head against doors?"

"Beat your head against doors," the King said bemusedly.

"Almost all the time but mainly against walls or my hand," Amelia said as she opened her eyes.

The Goblin King stared at the young woman in front of him in shock.

"Sarah?" he spluttered in surprise.

Amelia blinked owlishly at him before laughing.

"What is so amusing?" the King asked annoyed.

"You calling me Sarah," Amelia said between giggles. "I've been called Amanda and Annetta but never Sarah."

Suddenly she stopped laughing realizing something. Glancing at his chest Amelia squeaked as she shot backwards away from the King of the Goblins' arms.

"You're him aren't you?" Amelia whispered startled. "You're the Goblin King! I want Emma back right now, please."

The Goblin King smirked as he took in Amelia's appearance. Loose, white poet shirt, jeans, and brown leather boots. On her right wrist was a silver bracelet with a little silver heart dangling from the clasp. On her right hand was a gold Claddagh Ring. Her waist length, chestnut hair was pulled back into a low braid that was causually tossed over her right shoulder with curls hanging down in front of her ears.

"What's said is said," he said crossing his arms over his chest.

"Look I didn't mean it and Emma isn't even mine to wish away," Amelia said as she fiddled with her bracelet.

"Annetta…" he said as he stalked toward her. "Go back to your room. Play with your dolls and write your stories. Forget about the child."

The king continued to walk toward Amelia who backed up to keep some distance between her and the king.

"My name isn't Annetta," Amelia growled as her back hit the sliding door that lead into the dining room. "It's Amelia. And I'd rather not forget about Emma."

The Goblin King smirked as he placed his hands on either side of Amelia's head effectively trapping her.

"German," he mused as he locked mismatched eyes with emerald green ones. "Hard and industrious worker."

"Yes," Amelia whispered. "And I want Emma back."

"She's there in my castle," the Goblin King said as he stepped away from her pointing out the terrace door. "Do you still want to look for her?"

Ducking under the King's arm she rushed to the terrace door Amelia opened it and stared out, for the first time, at the Underground.

"It's beautiful," she murmured.

"Yes it is," the Goblin King whispered gazing at the young woman.

"Is that the castle beyond the Goblin City?" Amelia asked the king who stood behind her. "Turn back Amelia," he said earnestly. "Turn back before it's too late."

"I can't," Amelia said as she turned to face the king. "Don't you understand that I can't?" The king grimaced as Amelia turned back to the view of the Labyrinth.

"Such a pity," he murmured eyeing Amelia's figure.

"It looks like fun," Amelia mused aloud.

"It's harder then it looks and time is short," the Goblin King said into Amelia's left ear making her jump about four feet into the air. "You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before your little friend becomes one of us forever. Such a pity…"

He faded from view as Amelia stared out of the Labyrinth.

"I'm gonna get such a headache from this," Amelia muttered glumly.

'If Sarah can do this so can I,' Amelia thought as she headed down the hill toward the entrance of the Labyrinth.


	3. Of Finding One's Way in a Labyrinth

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anyone from Labyrinth though I do wish... (ducks as crystal is thrown) All right, all right I get it! I only own Jareth's parents, Amelia, Amelia's parents (both sets), her brothers, her grandmother, Emma, Emma's parents, and her brothers.

Chapter 3 Of Finding One's Way in a Labyrinth and Kisses

On her way down the hill Amelia stubbed her toe on a rock in her path and tumbled down the hill to land with an 'oof' at the bottom. Grunting Amelia stumbled to her feet and looked around. There was Hoggle taking care of business in a small pond.

"Excuse me," Amelia said startling the dwarf.

"Oh, excuse me!" the dwarf said hastily doing his pants up before turning to face her. "Sarah?!"

Grimacing Amelia shook her head.

"Amelia," she said.

"Oh," Hoggle said turning away from her and beginning to spray the fairies.

"Hoggle how do I get into the Labyrinth?" Amelia asked.

"Ya gets in there," Hoggle said gesturing behind his back toward the doors as they swung open.

"Thanks," Amelia said as she walked through the doors and turned right.

***********

Amelia walked for an hour before sitting down in exhaustion.

"'Allo!" a voice said from somewhere near her butt.

"'Allo," Amelia chirped as she grinned down at the speaker, a blue worm. "Do you know where there is an opening?"

"There's one right in front of you," the worm said.

"Thanks Mr. Worm," Amelia said standing up and walking through the wall and turning right.

***********

Amelia entered the area with the sandstone walls and stared at the signpost that had several hands pointing in different directions. Shaking her head in amusement Amelia moved on through the maze when she encountered the red and blue guards. The guards roared with laughter at the confused expression on Amelia's face as she registered the fact that what she thought had been a dead end a minute ago now had four guards in front of two doors and that the opening that had been behind her was now the dead end.

"Ok," Amelia said walking up to the red guard. "Answer yes or no. Would he tell me that this door leads to the castle and that that door leads to certain death?"

The red guard looked startled for a second before conferring with his bottom half. "Uh…Yes," the red guard said to Amelia.

"Then that door leads to the castle and this door leads to certain death," Amelia mumbled pointing at the door behind the blue guard.

"He could be telling the truth," the red guard wheedled.

"But then you wouldn't be," Amelia stated grinning in triumph. "Now if you'll excuse me I have a Labyrinth to solve."

Amelia pushed open the door behind the blue guard and felt the ground give way beneath her feet.

'Damn!' Amelia thought as she fell into the hole.

After falling several meters she felt her descent begin to slow down some.

"Um, hello?" Amelia called hesitatingly as she felt herself stop.

"Hello," several disembodied voices said.

"Are you guys the Helping Hands?" Amelia asked curious.

"Yes we are," another set of disembodied voices said. "Now which way do you want to go?"

"Down please," she said pleasantly. "And please let me down slowly."

The hands let her down to the hole that lead to the oubliette. As the manhole clanged shut Amelia stood up and stretched as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

"Lovely," she muttered. "An oubliette and down the rabbit hole."

Just then there was a sound in the dark.

"Hoggle?" Amelia called out. "Is that you?"

"How did ya know I was here?" Hoggle asked as he lit a candle filling the oubliette with light.

"I figured that you would come to lead me back to the beginning when I reached the oubliette," Amelia said as she walked over to a tarp and pushed it aside revealing a plank. "Do ya know what an oubliette-" Hoggle began.

"A place you put people to forget about them," Amelia said as she fitted the plank into the wall of the oubliette.

"How did ya know that?" Hoggle asked amazed.

"Oubliette is another form of the French word oublier which means to forget," Amelia said sticking the doorknob on the right side of the door and turning it revealing a passageway. "Now if you'll excuse me I would like to get out of this hole."

Grumbling to himself Hoggle followed her toward the false alarms, which Amelia ignored. Hoggle stared at her back thinking that there was something quite familiar about her but couldn't put his finger on it.

***********

Finding the ladder Amelia let Hoggle go first before climbing up behind him as he pushed the lid off a large urn. Scrambling out of it Hoggle climbed down and waited for Amelia to get out of the urn.

"Thanks," Amelia said as she looked around to get her bearings.

Just then there was a sudden sound behind them. Turning they saw the Wiseman and his hat shuffle over to his chair and sit on it.

"Excuse me," Amelia said walking up to the Wiseman.

"Ah a young woman," the Wiseman said noticing Amelia and Hoggle. "And who's this?" "A friend," Amelia said placing a hand on Hoggle's shoulder. "Do you know the way to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth?"

"Hmm," the Wiseman said. "Let's see…"

He thought for a minute while his hat rolled its eyes in despair making Amelia grin.

"Ah yes the way forward is often the way back," the Wiseman said slowly.

"Thank you," Amelia said as she dropped her bracelet into the little box that the Wiseman held out.

"Ya didn't have to give him that," Hoggle said as he trailed after Amelia. "He didn't tell ya nothing."

With a sigh Amelia stopped in the middle of hedge maze and closed her eyes.

"What are ya doin'?" Hoggle asked bewildered.

"Finding my way," Amelia said as she spun in a circle not hearing the click of boot heels on the stones as the Goblin King entered the Hedge Maze.

"I'm going this way Hoggle you don't need to follow me," Amelia said as she stopped spinning and swaying dizzily on the spot.

She opened her eyes, took a step, and almost fell. The Goblin King quickly grabbed her from behind before she could hit the ground.

"Thank you Your Majesty," Amelia whispered as she held onto his arms.

"You're quite welcome," the king said studying the woman in his arms. "And how are you liking my Labyrinth?"

"It's been interesting," Amelia said.

"Really?" the Goblin King asked raising an eyebrow at Amelia who was still in his arms. "And how is it interesting?"

"It keeps me on my toes," Amelia said shaking her head slightly trying to ease the dizziness.

"Ah I see," the king said.

"Excuse me," Amelia whispered as she gently disentangled herself from the Goblin King's arms. "I need to solve your Labyrinth."

"And what is Hogsbreath doing? Helping you?" he asked smirking at Amelia.

"His name is Hoggle and he is keeping me company," Amelia said evenly. "Now please excuse me."

As Amelia started to walk away the king grabbed her wrist and pulled her back toward him.

"Jareth please let me go," Amelia said as she pushed at his chest.

"Not without this," Jareth growled before capturing her lips in a breath-taking kiss as Hoggle's jaw dropped in surprise and shock.

Amelia melted against his mouth wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back with equal fervor. Jareth gently broke the kiss and rested his forehead against hers as they gasped for breath.

"Now I will leave you to solve the Labyrinth," Jareth whispered before vanishing and leaving Amelia staring at the spot where he had just been standing.

With a dreamy look on her face Amelia drifted off into the Hedge Maze with Hoggle hurrying after her and muttering to himself. Sighing Amelia opened her mouth and sang a love song that seemed to belong everywhere.

"My own true love, my own true love, at last I've found you, my own true love. No lips but yours, no arms but yours, will ever lead me through Heaven's door; I roamed the Earth in search of this, I knew I'd know you, know you by your kiss. And by your kiss you've shown true love, I'm yours forever, my own true love."

Hoggle gaped at the young woman in front of him who seemed to be in a love struck daze.


End file.
